My Story
Thank you for visiting my website and for your interest. What an interesting journey thus far. I’ve found myself moving in directions that bring me happiness and joy, leading to a more holistic approach to life, changing how I chose to spend my day, who I spend it with, how I relax and how I make a living. Although a path that may seem to meander, it leads to my opening a massage and bodywork studio in Sacramento, CA. I hope you enjoy the story of my journey as much as I do…
I began actively following my passions in 2005, after earning my Masters in Business Administration from Virginia Tech University. The MBA took about 5 years of night school to complete while working full time by day for a fortune 50 company located in Northern Virginia. This path was viewed as prestigious but I was not feeling fulfilled.
After experiencing the corporate world for 11 years, I began thinking about how to better tap into my creative side. I pursued an opportunity to work with a prominent interior designer and took the leap from my secure corporate job into a sole proprietor enterprise.
Just shy of two years while working with this talented designer, I learned that anything is possible in creating inviting living spaces. If you work with master crafters, beautiful dreams and grand visions can become reality. It opened my mind towards what could be, not just for an interior space but how I lived my life.
During this time, I was also adjusting from a divorce. Although as amicable as possible, learning to be single after an 18-year relationship was challenging. One benefit I’m very thankful for is the opportunity this change allowed to get to know myself better. Thus began my inner journey.
I started spending quality time with myself. I enjoyed journaling, walks around the lake, yoga, reading, movies, good food and wine. I found myself getting back into cooking as a creative outlet and began to study wine more seriously. My friends and family seemed to like it too, saying I was good at hosting, providing a comfortable place to relax and rejuvenate over a really good meal. The combination of good food and wine shared with friends and family became food for my soul and I began to imagine how to make that become a part of my everyday life.
I found a wine studies program in San Jose, CA that was designed to prepare their students to take the Certified Sommelier Exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers. The program was a 10-week intensive and a substantial investment. If I was entering a new industry, I felt having good knowledge and a globally recognized certification would provide a more stable foundation. I decided to go for it. Not only did I want to learn about wine but I was also drawn to San Francisco and Napa. I wanted to live in a food and wine culture, to nourish my mind, body and spirit.
My intuition gave me the confidence to “trust” and to “know” that this was the right move. That was tricky to explain to some of my family and friends who had questions like, “Your going by yourself?”, “Do you know anyone there?”, “You’re going without a job lined up?”, “Are you running away from something?”, “How long are you staying out there?”…
I drove to California from Virginia in June of 2007. I enjoyed the cross-country trip and had many nights hosted by friends and family along the way. I studied wine that summer and passed the Introductory and Certified Sommelier Exams. I made my way to Napa and fell in love with its magic. I was immediately “at home”, knowing no one upon arrival.
Napa felt so “right” living there. I’m extremely thankful for the small family multi-winery where I had the pleasure of working for almost 4 years. What a treat to work with such talented winemakers, learn first-hand how the growing season develops, how wine is made and the joy of sharing their creations with guests traveling from all over the world.
Napa was a place to heal, to re-group, to begin allowing love back into my life, to truly nourish my mind, body and spirit. I met amazing friends who were also on transformational paths. We all were fellow students on our inner journeys that loved being in Napa, surrounded by the valley’s beauty.
In the fall of 2012 I met my current love, and now husband, Brett, who lived in Sacramento. As our relationship grew, it was time for another major decision that involved my moving from Napa. Again, I trusted my intuition and “jumped”. We’ve been living together in Sacramento since the summer of 2013, married in the fall of 2017 and continue to support one another in creating a life we enjoy.
The move to Sacarmento allowed me time to think about what I wanted to do next. I decided to pursue my study of massage therapy and bodywork, with the goal of running a private practice. I had been reading and practicing a variety of energy healing techniques and mindful meditation practices while in Virginia and Napa and was drawn to study more formally. I loved the idea of being able to provide healing touch as a service to others, while continuing my own inner journey.
My massage training was from the Massage Therapy Institute in Davis, CA and I was certified as a Massage Therapist by the California Massage Therapy Council in June 2014. My studies include a blend of Eastern and Western modalities with the emphasis in Swedish, Therapeutic Deep Tissue, Reiki and Acupressure.
My further studies in Reiki were with Reiki Masters in the United States and in Japan, blending both Eastern and Western lineages. I completed my Level III Master Reiki Practitioner training (also called Level 3a, Advanced Reiki Techniques or ART and Shinpiden in Japanese) in Tokyo the Spring of 2018. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to study from both Eastern and Western Master Teachers and found my Western Reiki lineage was very traditional and a close match to my Japanese teachings. In the future, I can see myself pursuing Reiki Master Teaching Training.
Thank you for taking time to learn a bit about me and my bodywork practice. I'm grateful that Joann Wetherill Bodywork is a combination of all my skills and experiences to date, bringing 100% of myself to the “office”, which feels fantastic.
I invite you to my studio to begin or continue your own healing journey and together we can help each other on our paths towards more joyful living. In the meantime, wishing you well.
Please reach out with any questions.
Cheers!
Jody